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In this essay Carlos Cousiño reflects on the path taken by the government of Salvador Allende, in the light of the profound division between its real populist legitimacy and the revolutionary understanding which the elites in the political leadership had of this legitimacy. In particular he underlines the role played by the young intellectuals of the Left who kept on pushing the government towards revolutionary positions that became more and more radical. By the middle of 1992 populism had given way to revolution. In the opinion of the author, this path, which supported the conviction of the young Miristas that they were engaged in a war which had to end in a victory for one side or the other, sealed the destiny of the country, forcing it react in the severest way possible.